Is higher Education a waste of time?

[zdeternal]

I sit patiently at my desk, waiting for my digital watch to strike 11:00 so I can proceed to my class… Students are incorrigibly late and I promised I’d enter on the hour to facilitate the stragglers, since I’m a stickler for routine and a prompt start. I reflect on my morning conversations thus far and think of Orwell’s allegorical dystopia depicted in his novella. Moscow-directed Stalinism has replaced democratic ideologies. I wonder whether I could produce such a satirical work without being obsequious to his prose. I work in the environment you see, surrounded by sheep, workhorses and pigs. Is it madness that I see polymorphs as I meander through the corridors? Easily identifying one order/family from the other? Maybe I have a gift. I think of Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. He speaks seven languages and is even devising his own language. Is he a genius? I don’t think geniuses exist in the present. I reflect on Mozart, Einstein and Shakespeare. It seems the use of the term is synonymous with dead people. I don’t think anyone has called Tammet a genius… If anything, he’s called an autistic savant… Doesn’t the use of the word autism connote a mental disability? It’s a conundrum that “genius” abilities are (usually) synonymous with mental disabilities. Since there’s no one alive who witnessed Mozart urinate in his kindergarten pants, or saw young Picasso eating crayons in kindergarten, I suppose people call them geniuses in safety, since their humanity has been stripped from our memory of them. Out of respect, and worship, we allow ourselves to believe the 2% of our heroes we find superhuman are without flaw, their superhuman capabilities encompassing the entirety of who they were. The psychological “Halo effect” term springs to mind… There seems to be little consensus on what being a genius even means. Experts suggest that a genius has the capacity for greatness, while others believe it’s that you’ve accomplished great things. I don’t believe great things are accomplished through arguing over semantics. Interesting questions defy finality and the pursuit for clarity over irrelevant points does not allow a better understanding of how to appreciate, and possibly become, interesting people. A high percentage of geniuses weren’t particularly happy, well adjusted people. I may go so far as to say it’s a requirement, since evidence shows a correlation. History has shown that, irrespective of brilliance, most “geniuses” did not lead stable lives. Picasso, Van Gogh, Edison, Einstein, and Nietzsche had difficult, if not disastrous, personal lives. Every one of them either never married or married many times, had children they abandoned or became estranged from, and had episodes of great depression and turmoil. Isaac Newton and Tesla spent many of their days in isolation, and had enough eccentricities and personality disorders to earn themselves a drawer full of prescription drugs. It’s uncanny that a lot of philosophers and “great thinkers” fall prey to this phenomenon as well.

I reflect on achievements, both early and recent. Does academic achievement warrant the approving stamp of genius? In my youth, a Masters degree set you apart from others. Now, it seems a natural progression from the Bachelor’s level. I know of individuals who acquired two Masters Degrees online at the same time. I cannot speculate whether the standards are generally considered low, but I have acquired information that gives a consensus that there isn’t much confidence in even important degrees from very good institutions. Ph. D.’s now seem to be the new “Masters”. A good Ph. D. leaves (as it should) an impression, often a good impression, about the holder. The process of acquiring a Ph. D. is a laborious one (as any holder will tell you). Choosing a researchable topic is like catching smoke. While a Master’s degree may pair you with supervisors that are sometimes randomly chosen to guide student research, a Ph. D. student seeks out his/her own supervisor (usually by expressing interest and writing a good proposal in the supervisor’s area of expertise). Students apply for their own funding to help pay for the high cost of a Ph.D. programme. A 2007 Statistics Canada report found that Ph. D. students usually pile up debts exceeding $22,500 (Cdn) before they complete their studies. Graham Cox, Chair of the Canadian Federation of Students, states: “It used to be that you could graduate from university with a bit of debt and then get a good job. But there are bleak opportunities for those with Ph. D.s.” Even when they do find jobs, Ph. D.s do not command a salary any higher than those with one of those hurriedly acquired Masters (or even B. Sc.) Degrees. A 2009 University World News article blames the problem on the “casualisation of the university labour force” as the reason. The Statistics Canada report also states that the difference between a Ph. D.’s income and that of a Masters degree is sometimes just $5,000. Thus, while a Ph. D. holder takes home about $55,000 Cdn (yearly), a Masters Degree graduate gets some $50,000 Cdn, even though the difference between the two degrees is very wide.

The obvious question that follows is: “Why would anybody bother with a Ph. D. when the rewards are not commensurate with the hard work involved?” Some would expound that it is an honour that cannot be quantified in money, so material reward is not the motivation, but the journey is. Another argument would be that being a Ph. D. candidate clears a lot of doubt about your capability, because it is not every Masters Degree holder who can do a Ph. D. Daring to complete it and getting accepted into a body of knowledgeable academics, is even more honourable. It is not a terrain for buffoons who do not have discipline and composure.

I have a friend who drives a taxi and scoffed at me when I told him my salary. “I make more than that in a month,” he says, “And it’s TAX FREE”. Another mechanic friend (who has no diplomas to his name) owns a big house and the very best cars. He also boasts that he gets twice as much as any professor makes. These are the ones who also own the gas stations in their boroughs.
Being in an academic institution, I am constantly surrounded by rhetoric. “Education is worthwhile for its own sake, Education prepares you for life, Education makes you a thinker which is a valuable skill for any employer.” Are these inspirational quotes reflective of the reality of the job market? How many times have I been told: “Dr. X, you are too qualified for this job” or “Dr. X, we can’t afford to pay you.” The truth is, I’ve never asked for exorbitant payments, or commensurate jobs (Equity… yes). I actually enjoy what I do and relish the opportunity to do the aforementioned. The reality is, I can’t cite my understanding of Barker and adaptive maternal effects, implicating that no clinical treatment will stop you (or anyone) from progressing to a Type II diabetic state, if you were so predisposed.

I know that my (immediate) family suffered through a depressing, challenging time where, in my nine year pursuit of advanced academia, there was no time for weekend getaways… Planned Christmases... Toys… Dining out… I was always on a budget and was barely able to provide the necessities to continue (it still is that way today). I viewed education as a ladder out of poverty, a means of obtaining self-sustenance and was not fortunate enough to have parental legacies/support to ensure a comfortable existence in my adulthood. I always reflect on the practical consequences of pedagogical ideals: life-long poverty, frustrated ambition, and hard, long years of work that have yielded nothing in return, except a full library, eloquence and an impressive resume. Scholars and educational theorists appeal to the value of educative growth. I wonder if this is clearly understood. Is an individual's growth contingent on receiving a formal education? Is growth too abstract a goal for educators to pursue? To be honest, I cannot waste time in pursuing answers to these questions. I can’t pay a mortgage with ideals… The grocery doesn’t care how many publications I have, or how good I am at pathological diagnoses. Were those nine plus years worth it? Introspectively… yes… Practically… no. Not in our local environment at least. I question whether my desire to return and assist in our country’s development (a lofty ideal) was worth it… I’m glad for the opportunity I have had to have an impact on people’s health and, from a pedagogical perspective, on cultivating critical thinking and knowledge-driven skills… I struggle, however, with my inability to achieve comfortable self-sustenance and cannot justify the hours of reading, the volumes of literature, and the 100 pound text books, lectures, clinic visits, all religiously adhered to over a nine year period. I think about my research findings and publications, which, to date, is the only legacy to my children.
Kafka, Darwin, Melville, Edgar Allan Poe and Van Gogh all died young, poor, and with moderate (and in Kafka, Melville and Van Gogh’s cases, zero) fame for their talents. Am I destined to follow in their footsteps? (No allusions to grandeur implied).

If anything, I can honestly say that graduate school has enforced my ability to cope, be analytical and decisive. I cannot say that it has brought me any wealth or recognition. Apart from self-gratification, I do not know if the extra years of study were worth it. I have yet to utilize (if given the opportunity) the full extent of the knowledge I acquired. I do not have the financial resources to afford an infrastructure to practice privately… Is (higher) education wasted? I get by… barely.

[Amelia]

I like letters behind my name.

[kemist]

depends on the purpose

[edyle]

I'd made a note to myself to raise the issue of former US President Eisenhower's farewell address because in it he warned to TWO important concerns. The first part of his address concerns the Military Industrial (Congressional) Complex (he dropped 'congressional' from the speech on advice to avoid being undiplomatic).
The SECOND issue is what is concerned with here, and it has to do with the changes in Education and Research.

Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.
In this revolution, research has become central, it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.
Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation's scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present – and is gravely to be regarded.
Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system – ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society.
Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's future, we – you and I, and our government – must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without asking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.
Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.
Such a confederation must be one of equals. The weakest must come to the conference table with the same confidence as do we, protected as we are by our moral, economic, and military strength. That table, though scarred by many past frustrations, cannot be abandoned for the certain agony of the battlefield.

====

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose. Because this need is so sharp and apparent I confess that I lay down my official responsibilities in this field with a definite sense of disappointment. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war – as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years – I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight.
Happily, I can say that war has been avoided. Steady progress toward our ultimate goal has been made. But, so much remains to be done. As a private citizen, I shall never cease to do what little I can to help the world advance along that road.
So – in this my last good night to you as your President – I thank you for the many opportunities you have given me for public service in war and peace. I trust that in that service you find some things worthy; as for the rest of it, I know you will find ways to improve performance in the future.
You and I – my fellow citizens – need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nations' great goals.
To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayerful and continuing aspiration:
We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.
Now, on Friday noon, I am to become a private citizen. I am proud to do so. I look forward to it.
Thank you, and good night.

[miktay]

Provided u dont overpay...

[greall]

I like letters behind my name.

Me too...

Greg

[indie]

^ Me too

[vaio]

Learning can never be a waste of time!

[Sirius]

Higher education is not a waste of time.

There are many people pursuing higher education who simply should not be doing so. Today's world has however created a substantial number of knowledge based jobs and in order to make it in those positions, there is a definite need for higher education.

Your post speaks to more than just higher education though; it speaks to what awaits those with a Bachelor's or Master's as opposed to those holding doctorates. It is true; the income of a doctorate holder may not reflect the extent of the achievement as compared to the holder of say a MSc or MBA. That should not matter. One who pursues education to the PhD level would be expected to do so by virtue of their innate academic drive or their involvement in a career as a researcher or an educator. Such directions in life are simply the ones that are in most cases not recognized during one's own lifetime.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that in a knowledge based world, higher education simply cannot be viewed as a waste of time but rather an inevitable step toward many (but not all!) career paths. Should one wish to go all the way to PhD however, it should be for reasons other than hoping to earn more (money or recognition) than those that drew the line earlier in the game.

[shield_2006]

Absolutely not--it gives you the basis to clinically asses exactly why the plumber electrician and mason are overcharging you.

Anybody see a good machinist lately?

[letric]

Is (higher) education wasted? I get by… barely.

Zdeternal, education/higher education is an admirable thing, but is it well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. It is obvious from your plaintive cry your higher education has made you what you are...Suggest strongly, seek entering the university of life ... Anyone can know the question is to understand.

[trini123]

Learning, whether in a class room or not, is never a "waste of time". By learning you see the world differently and hopefully you can apply it to make it a better place.

[edyle]

Learning, whether in a class room or not, is never a "waste of time". By learning you see the world differently and hopefully you can apply it to make it a better place.

Yes.
The trouble with what is sold for higher education is that it leans towards training and not towards enlightenment.

The second part of former President Eisenhower's farewell address, I consider indicative of this trend developing since the 1950's.

Higher education should be provided within the country, by the people for the benefit of the people; it should be provided to those best able to learn, invent and develop, and such persons bear a responsibility to the people to offer their service.

Professional Training is entirely different and is something for private industry.

[indie]

"Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century."
-- Perelman

[J lindsay]

Society's level of expectation has risen exponentially, as it did previously with the telephone, the car, the TV. As a consequence caring parent aspire to a university education for their offspring, studiously ignoring that as ever, some are bone idle and others dumb as rocks and will not benefit one iota from it, beyond possibly the social life.

For their part, due largely to their doting parents, the vast majority of children today, just keep adding, and adding all the many things to their "wish lists" that their parents, the state or the result of their own criminal activity MUST provide for them.

[Solachica]

So you think your education is a waste of time for you becos you 'get by… barely' ?

[J lindsay]

"learning" is by no means the same as "education". Not all allegedly "educated" ever learn anything.

[zdeternal]

I think you have missed the essence of the explication...

[shield_2006]

ask Steve Jobs.

[Poser]

I like letters behind my name.

not all Letters are genuine ... ask Suruj

.

[snowbird]

My Opinion...

I think what was once termed.... 'Higher Education' is now considered part of ones 'education' ..... period.

.... there was once a time when anything after a secondary education was 'optional'... today however, a secondary education is no longer complete.... it is only the 'mid point' in your eventual education.... it is the 'base' on which you continued education (post secondary) will be structured.... it is your eventual 'post secondary' education that will complete the process.

....In today's society it is essential that you 'finish your education'....it does not matter what direction one takes their 'post secondary' education or to what level ...all that matters is that you complete your education as it will be the means by which most people will eventually earn a living.

Unfortunately, there are still people out there who will choose a direction for their post secondary education based on reasons like....

(and the most common)..."because I did well in my 'secondary years' in this area... it probably means I have a 'penchant for it and should make it my life's work (vocation)"

or

.....'I will have letters after my name'.
..... 'I can make lots of money'
.... 'I can have status once I am finished'

those would be the misguided people


the more informed would consider

....."Do I love what I am doing enough to want to invest a great deal more time at it"

.... "Am I going to be happy doing this for a while"

.... "With this training, do I address a need, both in myself and in society at large".

.... "If (when) I get tired doing this.... is there anything in this field I can use to build 'my next career"


Society has long since moved away from 'positively' judging people by the amount of money they make (letters or dollar figures et al) .... instead we now look at people in terms of 'what contribution' have they made or are they making.

Just at how angry we (the 99%) now are....the worm is turning....the old paradigm has shifted.

[Poser]

in Trinidad they still judge you by the 'letter' behind your name ... it aslo determines who your friends are ... and if your parents pay for your education .. wus yet .. is more pressure in your tail on who you can bring home..

i have taught my children .. that .. if you're looking to make a career move you might be more successful if you look more broadly at your set of skills and learn how to sell those to employers outside of your current career and education niche ....

and all three are doing well ... very well .

my advice when they were looking for their career choice ... use your professional skills to catapult you into a new career field .. don't depend on the Degree you have ...and don't stay in school longer than you have to.... because you will get a new title .. professional student ...

[Amelia]

In the trini society it matters what your qualifications are if you arent one of the lucky ones whose parents qualifications put them in positions and networking pool which means u have the hook up.

Higher education is not wasted. It usually gives u credibility (provided u are educated in the field chosen for career) and at the very least networking opportunities which is very important in our small, highly competitive pool.

From the OP, I'd say its not the higher education that is wasted but the poster's poor career planning which leaves him frustrated. I am not going to spend years studying volcanoes and then stay in Trinidad where the demand for ppl with my skill set might be non-existent and then say studying was a waste of time.

For the dozen billionaires who made it big without a formal education, there are countless folks who are struggling, unable to rise above the poverty line bec of their lack of education. Ppl knock education as a means to a job and nothing stps u, once educated, to think outside the box and be just as innovative and driven as the the handful of the now admirable highschool dropouts.

[snowbird]

..... professional student ...

Know what you mean..... I had to remind mine from time to time....that 'student' wasn't the career I had in mind.

Poser I am so happy that my kids were in high school at a time when the economy of the world was changing.... as such, they were all very much aware that in their life time...they would have a few 'careers'.... that is a reality that took away any 'illusions' like the ones you and I may have had growing up (get a profession... you will do well.... and if you work hard at it...at the end of the day you are guaranteed the 'gold watch').

They function in a much more realistic world.... so change of career is no big deal to them.... as a matter of fact...they are expecting it....
The only problem I have with that is...there seems to be less 'commitment' from employees than 'back in the day'.... but then, who can blame them.... the movers and shakers are not commiting to them...so why should they commit to the 'movers and the shakers.... Hate to say it, but we now live in a 'what's in it for me' world.

[snowbird]

Ames.... in another life part of my function was to recruit people....then train them for functions within a 'financial institution'
....the whole process was very 'time sensitive'....when we had a 'call up' for new 'Agents' I had X amout of time to hire these people then get them trained (ready for certification) so that they could 'hit the ground running' by a certain date.
...the only reason why I chose recent candidates with a BA over High School Graduates (even though these jobs I would consider entry level)....was because I knew the group I had before me, would have been a group who probably had good.... 'time management'..... could cover alot of material in a short period of time....could grasp concepts quickly....and who had just come out of an environment where they were used to 'crunch time'....

Ames, the only reason why I chose those candidates was because (from my experience)...... I knew they could be trained.... on my schedule (quickly)...the bonus was when they brought something extra to the table.

From my perspective... these days...to begin with that BA is nothing more than a step in the door and an interview..... and if there is a position available....possibly a pick over someone who didn't have one.

...If you had a Masters...just about the same would apply except....there was a good chance we would keep an eye on you...and if you were interested (and worked out) later on you were possibly considered for some upwardly moble move .

Not sure what goes on in T&T ..... but these days in the outside world.... it is pretty streight foward.... no matter what your credentials.... you still have to prove yourself.